Terminal connector



Jan. 8, 1957 F. E. SHRIDER TERMINAL CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 29, 1954 F/G. Z.

INVENTOR. SHE/0E2 FOFES 7' E %!0magfiwmm 0mm if lW H United States Patent 2,777,117 TERMINAL CONNECTOR Forest E. Shriden Zanesville, Ohio Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,459 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-100) The present invention relates to terminal connectors for attachment to multiple strand conductors and cables.

The present invention has for its principal object to provide a connector to be used on the ends of standard cables or conductors such as connect the automobile battery to thestarter, and the like, I

Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector having means for compressing and compacting the separate strands of a conductor or cable without crushing, cracking, or abrading thestrands of' the conductor.

A further object of the present, invention is to provide a terminal connector having a female coupling member into which the end portion of a cable or conductor is slipped, and a male coupling member having means on one end to penetrate the strands of the cable or conductor and to separate them and hold them in contact with the inner walls of the female coupling member.

A still further object of the'present invention is to provide a terminal connector for use with a cable having a center steel strand wrapped with separable conductor strands, such as are used for high tension transmission of electricity.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an end view in elevation of an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation thereof;

Figure 3 is a top plan view;

Figure 4 is a partial view in cross section on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a view partly in cross section of a second embodiment of the present invention; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the male coupling element of the second embodiment.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a female coupling member 10 having a centrally disposed bore 11, one end of which is formed with an enlarged threaded portion 12 extending inwardly from the one end to a point spaced from the one end.

The other end of the bore 11 has a reduced smooth portion 14, dimensioned smaller than the threaded portion 12 and adapted to receive the bare end of a conductor or cable indicated by the reference numeral 15.

Intermediately disposed between the terminating end of the threaded portion 12 and the smooth portion 14, the bore 11 has a tapered portion extending from the terminating point of the second portion 14 to a point adjacent to the terminating point of the main portion 12 of the bore.

In Figure 4, the terminating point of the main portion 12 of the bore 11 is indicated by the reference numeral 16, and the terminating point of the second portion 14 of the bore 11 is indicated by the reference numeral 17.

The reference numeral 18 indicates the end of the tapering wall section where it joins with a smooth wall section substantially in alignment and concentric with the stem 19 of the male coupling member, indicated by the reference numeral 20.

A hex head 21 is provided for the male coupling member 20 and a threaded portion 22 engages within the threaded main portion 12 of the female coupling member 16 The one end of the male coupling member 20 is provided with a cone-shaped point 24 which cooperates with the groove formed in the bore 11 to form a frustoconical channel which receives the separated strands 25 of the cable 15.

The other end of the male coupling member 20 is provided with a clamp 26 for engaging the battery terminal (not shown) within the opening indicated by the reference numeral 27.

In Figures 5 and 6, the second embodiment of the present invention utilizes the same female coupling element 10 and provides a male coupling element 28 having a third portion 29 at a specially formed point 36 having slots 31 and a bore 32.

This embodiment of the present invention is used with cables or conductors (not shown) having steel inner cores which slide into the bore 32. The steel being relatively unbendable is then clamped by the action of the point 30 as it compresses and compacts the strands in the channel formed between the point 30 and the inner wall of the female coupling 10.

The female coupling member 10 is formed with a hex outer surface for the reception of a wrench while coupling the two members together in order that surficient pressure may be obtained to compact and compress the strands between the terminating points 16 and 17 of the main portion 12 and the second portion 14, respectively.

While only preferred embodiments have been here shown and described, other embodiments of the present invention may be made and practised and many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a connector for a stranded conductor, a female member having a central bore therethrough; said bore comprising a relatively large diameter threaded portion reaching at one end to one end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the other end of the female member, a reduced diameter smooth portion reaching at one end to the said other end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the threaded portion, said smooth portion of the bore being of a diameter to snugly receive the stranded conductor, a tapered bore portion extending between and tapering from said threaded portion to said reduced portion, and a male member having a threaded shank threaded in said threaded bore portion, said shank terminating at one end in a conical portion larger in diameter than the smooth bore portion and having a point reaching through said tapered bore portion into said smooth bore portion to penetrate and expand a stranded conductor in the smooth bore portion.

2. In a connector for a stranded conductor, a female member having a central bore therethrough; said bore comprising a relatively large diameter threaded portion reaching at one end to one end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the other end of the female member, a reduced diameter smooth portion reaching at one end to the said other end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the threaded portion, said smooth portion of the bore being of a diameter to snugly receive the stranded conductor, a

tapered bore portion extending between and tapering from said threaded portion to said reduced portion, and a male member having a threaded shank threaded in said threadedbore portion, said shank terminating at one end in a conical portion larger in diameter than the smooth bore portion and having a point reaching through said tapered bore portion into said smooth bore portion to penetrate and expand a stranded conductor in the smooth bore portion, said conical portion being solid.

3. In a connector for a stranded conductor, a female member having a central bore therethrough; said bore comprising a relatively large diameter threaded portion reaching at one end to one end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the other end of the female member, a reduced diameter smooth portion reaching at one end to the said other end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the threaded portion, said smooth portion of the bore being of a diameter to snugly receive the stranded conductor, a tapered bore portion extending between and tapering from said threaded portion to said reduced portion, and a male member having a threaded shank threaded in said threaded bore portion, said shank terminating at one end in a conical portion larger in diameter than the smooth bore portion and having a point reaching through said tapered bore portion into said smooth bore portion to penetrate and expand a stranded conductor in the smooth bore portion, said conical portion having an axial bore reaching through its point.

4. In a connector for a stranded conductor, a female member having acentral bore therethrough; said bore comprising a relatively large diameter threaded portion reaching at one end to one end of the female member and spaced at its other end from the other end of the female member, a reduced diameter smooth portion reaching at one end to the said other end of the female member and spaced, at its other end from the threaded portion, said smooth portion of the bore being of a diameter to snugly receive the stranded conductor, a tapered bore portion extending between and tapering from said threaded portion to said reduced portion, and a male member having a threaded shank threaded in said threaded bore portion, said shank terminating at one end in a conical portion larger in diameter than the smooth bore portion and having a point reaching through said tapered bore portion into said smooth bore portion to penetrate and expand a stranded conductor in the smooth bore portion, said conical portion having an axial bore reaching through its point, and radial slots opening into said axial bore.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,856,018 Barth Apr. 26, 1932 1,908,007 Bende May 9, 1933 2,156,272 Bell May 2, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 846,809 France June 19. 1919 

